Bread bagger



J. F. IRWIN BREAD BAGGER Dec. 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q Filed Aug. 5,1966 JERE F. IRWIN.

INVENTOR.

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J. F. IRWIN BREAD BAGGER Dec. 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 5,1966 JERE F. IRWIN.

INVENTOR.

ATTO RNEY.

J. F- RWEN BREAD BAGGER Dec. 1968 16 Sheets-S 5 Filed Aug- 1966 JEREINVENTOR Af'rO Dec. 24, 1968 J. F. IRWIN 3,417,546

BREAD BAGGER Filed Aug. 5, 1966 16 Sheets-Sheet s ATTORNEY.

Dec. 24, 1968 lRwlN 3,417,545

BREAD BAGGER Filed Aug. 5, 1966 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 IN VEN TOR.-

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 24, 1968 J. F. IRWIN 3,417,546

BREAD BAGGER Filed Aug. 5, 1966 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 AT TORNE Y.

Dec. 24, 1968 J. F. IRWIN 3,417,546

BREAD BAGGER Filed Aug. 5, 1966 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 JERE F. IRWIN.INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 24, 1968 Filed Aug. 5, 1966 J. F. IRWIN BREAD BAGGER 16Sheets-Sheet 10 7 15r.. 5 o V479 274 82 14 zao 250 JERE EIRWIN.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNE Y.

Dec. 24, 1968 w N 3,417,546

BREAD BAGGER Fild Aug. 5. 1966 16 Sheets-Sheet l2 O 1 1 2 m ffi & 1a!

7 1gJ7-EL JERE R IRWIN.

IN VEN TOR.

"' ATTORNEY.

J. F. IRWIN BREAD BAGGER Dec. 24, 1968 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed Aug. 5.1966 illlllllillllllllllllll 272 L-Z llllllllllllll \I ii I III JERE F.IRWIN.

I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 24, 1968 J. F. IRWIN 3,417,546

BREAD BAGGER Filed Aug. 5, 1966 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 l I v 114 [In-L l IIIJERE F. IRWIN.

INVENTOR.

m w m F l BREAD BAGGER l6 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed Aug. 5, 1966 ATTORNEYUnited States Patent 3,417,546 BREAD BA-GGER Jere F. Irwin, IrwinResearch and Development, Inc., 1702 S. 24th Ave., P.O. Box 221, Yakima,Wash. 98901 Filed Aug. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 570,667 3 Claims. (Cl. 53-190)This invention relates to the packaging of commodities of various kindsin flexible plastic bags and particularly to an improved device foraccomplishing the insertion of the commodity into the bag.

The present invention is an improvement on the bread bagger disclosed inmy co-pending application Ser. No. 396,430, filed Sept. 14, 1964. Thebagger disclosed in said pending application embraces the followingelements:

(a) A conveyor for successively feeding individual product entitiesalong a given path to a bagging station;

(b) Scoop means mounted for reciprocation along a second path whichcrosses said first path in the area of said station so that said scoopmeans has alternately a retracted position in said second path in whichsaid scoop means is withdrawn from the area of said station, and anextended position in which said scoop means extends through and beyondthe station;

(0) Bag supply means for supplying a distended bag to an end portion ofsaid scoop means when this is extended beyond the said station wherebysaid scoop means extends within said bag and grips the same, carryingthe same with it as said scoop means retreats through said station;

((1) Means on said scoop means positioned opposite said station whensaid scoop means is extended for receiving a product entity fed to saidstation;

(e) Blockade means positioned to retain said product entity at saidstation during retraction of said scoop means whereby said bag is drawnover said entity, enveloping the same, engagement of said bag with saidproduct entity holding said bag at said station and facilitatingwithdrawal of said scoop means from said bag as said scoop means returnsto its retracted position; and

(f) Means for coordinately reciprocating said scoop means, operatingsaid product entity feed means, and operating said bag supply means toproduce recurrent product entity bagging cycles.

The specific means disclosed in the aforesaid co-pending application andlast recited in the above recitation of the elements of said breadbagger embraces a cam shaft which is rotated at a constant speed. Thisshaft is provided with an eccentric crank pin which is connected by apitman to a relatively long arm which is rockable about a fixed pivot atits lower end and which is connected by suitable linkage at its upperend to said scoop means so as to reciprocate the latter as abovedescribed, one such reciprocation taking place during each entitybagging cycle. This drive mechanism for the scoop means divides the timeperiod of each bagging cycle into two halves and occupies one of thesehalves by the movement of the scoop means from its extreme retractedposition to its extreme extended position, and the other half of saidtime period with the return of said scoop means from its fully extendedposition to its fully retracted position.

The above described bread bagger has gone into wide commercial use andhas shown itself to be superior to prior bagging machines competitivetherewith. The bagging rate at which this machine operates in normalcommercial use is 50 cycles per minute. Each machine is thus able to bag3,000 loaves of bread an hour.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the aforesaid breadbagger so as to substantially increase the productive capacity thereof.

3,417,546 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 Another object of the invention is toaccomplish such an improvement at a relatively low cost and withoutextensive modification of the structure thereof.

It is still another object of the invention to provide such animprovement of the aforesaid bread bagger by such a simple modificationthereof as will permit each of the aforesaid prior bread baggers now incommercial use to be modified so as to embody the improvement of thepresent invention by a relatively inexpensive change in the structurethereof.

While the aforesaid prior bread bagger embodies means for reciprocatingthe scoop means so that the advancing movement of each reciprocationabsorbs onehalf of the time period of each bagging cycle and the returnmovement of said scoop means occupies the other half of said period, Ihave discovered that the efiicient operation of said bagger does notrequire this equal division of the time period of each cycle between theadvancing and the retreating portions of a reciprocation of the scoopmeans. I have discovered that no fault is occasioned in the operation ofsaid machine by greatly reducing the portion of each cycle time perioddevoted to the advancing movement of the scoop means. From thisdiscovery I have derived an improvement of said bread bagger in whichthe total time period of each bagging cycle may be substantiallyreduced. The reduction of this time period naturally means an increasein the capacity of the machine. Thus, without substantially speeding upthe return movement of the scoop means in each reciprocation thereof, Iam able to increase the productive capacity of the machine as much as40%. That is, a bread bagger having a productive capacity of 50 baggingcycles a minute has its capacity increased to bagging cycles perminutes.

While the basic idea of this improvement may be carried out by variousmeans, the specific means disclosed herein as preferable for thispurpose comprises a mechanism adapted to be driven directly from theaforesaid cam shaft, which will permit the speeding up of said cam shaftso as to increase the number of bagging cycles which the machine willperform during each minute without substantially speeding up the timeoccupied by each return movement of said scoop means. This is effected,of course, by greatly increasing the rate 'of travel of said scoop meansduring its advancing movement, and thus cutting down on the portion ofthe time period of each bagging cycle which is devoted to said advancingmovement.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as furtherobjects and advantages will be made manifest in the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in whichFIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention withthe scoop means thereof shown in retracted position.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken in line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the scoop means of the inventionshown in its forwardmost extended position.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional viewtaken on the line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on theline 66 of FIG. 3 and illustrates the bag film stack supporting elevatorand control mechanism therefor.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of the blockade means of theinvention.

FIG. 9 is a detail cross-sectional view of said blockade 3 mechanismtaken on the line 99 of FIG. 3 and of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on theline 1010 of FIG. 3 and illustrates the bagged loaf flusher mechanism.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view of the bag film stack supportingelevator together with the stack wicket trap and air jet nozzle of thedevice.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the scoop means of theinvention in its maximum extended position and partly broken away toillustrate how at this moment a sliced loaf of bread is delivered intothe lower scoop just prior to this loaf being bagged in the bag filmwhich has just been picked up by an endmost portion of said scoop means.

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary plan view of said endrnost portion of the scoopmeans just as this is about to be withdrawn from a bag after the latterhas been pulled over a loaf of bread in enveloping relation therewith.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken in the line 1414of FIG. 12 and illustrates the manner in which a sliced loaf of bread isdelivered into the lower scoop of said scoop means.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary plan view of portions of the loaf feed andbagged loaf discharge conveyors and the inclined transfer deck betweenthese on which a bagged loaf is deposited after the bagging operation,and which is shown in this view as being flushed downwardly from saiddeck by the flushing bar onto the bagged loaf discharge conveyor, whileanother unbagged sliced loaf of bread is being fed towards the end ofthe feed conveyor in readiness to be bagged during the next cycle ofoperation of the machine.

FIG. 16 is a wiring diagram of the electrical system of the invention.

FIG. 17 (A, B and C) comprises three views the first in plan, the secondin end elevation, and the third in front elevation, which illustrate theoperation of the machine of the invention at the beginning of a baggingcycle where the scoop means is in its retracted position.

FIG. 18 (A, B and C) comprises similar three views illustrating saidbagging cycle one-quarter completed where the scoop means has advancedhalf way between its retracted position and its extended position.

FIG. 19 (A, B and C) comprises three views similar to those of FIG. 18and shows said cycle half completed and with the scoop means in itsfully extended position.

FIG. 20 (A, B and C) comprises three similar views which illustrate afurther advanced stage in said bagging cycle of the machine in which thescoop means is returned approximately one-half of the distance from itsextended position to its retracted position.

FIG. 21 comprises a fragmentary enlarged front elevational view of thenovel improved scoop means reciprocating mechanism of the presentinvention as this appears in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

FIG. 22 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2222 of FIG. 21.

While the invention is basically adaptable to the packaging of manykinds of difierent commodities, it is disclosed herein in the formthereof designed particularly as a bread bagger 25. This machine is madecommercially in right hand units and left hand units, and the machineshown on the drawings is of the former type.

The bagger 25 has a frame, generally designated by the number 26, andthis includes a heavy foundation base 27 on which is superimposed whatmay be referred to as a first-story housing 28 and a second-storyhousing 29. The base 27 is made up of two heavy half-inch plates 30 and30 which are placed on edge and welded together to form an L and arealso welded to foot plates 31 and to a heavy L-shaped horizontaloverlying floor plate 32. Inturned lower flanges 33 of the first-storyhousing 28 are secured as by suitable cap screws 34, to the perimeter offloor plate 32.

Resting on and bolted to floor plate 32 is a heavy-dutyworm-reduction-gear box 35 having a lower input shaft 36 and an upperoutput shaft 37. Mounted on a suitable pad 38 which is bolted on thefloor plate 32 is a miter gear box 39 having an input shaft 40, which isin alignment with output shaft 37, and an output shaft 41 which is inthe same horizontal plane and at right angles with shaft 40. Adjacentends of shafts 37 and are united together by a rubber coupling 42. Alsoresting on and bolted to floor plate 32 is an electric drive motor 43which is connected by a drive belt 44 with a brakeclutch unit 45. Thisunit is electrically controlled, as will be explained later, and is inaxial alignment with and connected to input shaft 36 of the wormreduction gear box 35 so that energizing of the motor 43 when thebrake-clutch unit 45 is .functioning to transmit rotation therethroughto input shaft 36, causes the output shafts 37 and 41 (as well as inputshaft 40) to rotate at the same speed which, of course, is considerablyslower than the speed at which input shaft 36 is rotated.

Mounted on the extending end of input shaft 40 of the miter gear box 39is a switch cam 46 which cyclically actuates a microswitch 47 mounted onthe pad 38 for a purpose and in a manner which will be made clear indescribing the operation. Rigidly fixed on the free end of output shaft37 of the reduction gear box 35 is a pair of cams 51 and 52 which arejointly keyed to said shaft in the relative rotational relationshipshown in FIG. 3.

An opening 53 is formed lengthwise of the machine in the floor plate 32,this opening extending alongside the heavy vertical frame plate 30 andlengthwise of the machine and having an L-shaped plate providing a floorplate 54 and a side plate 55'. Mounted on the floor plate 54 is aself-aligning bearing 56 and concentrically therewith, on the side plate55, is mounted a ball bearing 57 carrying a rocker 48 having individualarms 59 and 60 which are substantially at right angles to each other.Pivotally mounted at its lower end on the self-aligning bearing 56 is ascoop reciprocating lever 61 which is fashioned of sheet metal to makeit light and rigid, and includes a back web 62 and channel flanges 63.Mounted on the back web 62 is a plate 64 having a lug 65 to which ispivotally connected the rear end of an adjustable pitman 66.

The present improved bread bagger is distinguished from the bread baggershown in said co-pending application by having embraced therewith ascoop reciprocating and speed variance mechanism 67 which is mounted onthe floor 32 in spaced relation with cam 51. This mechanism includes twoheavy plates 68a and 68!) which are welded to the floor plate 32 andform parallel vertical standards which extend upwardly from said floorplate and have horizontally aligned bearings 68c and 68d mounted attheir upper ends. Iournalled in said bearings is a short shaft 68a tothe forwardly extending end of which is rigidly fixed a heavy slottedarm 68f having a slot 68g formed therein and a pivot ear 68h extendinglaterally from the lower end thereof. This ear is provided with a pivotpin 68 on which is pivotally mounted the other end of adjustable pitman66. Mounted on a pin 68k which is set in cam 51 is a roller 68m whichextends through and closely fits slot 68g.

The manner of operation of the scoop mechanism reciprocating and speedvariance mechanism 67 just described will be made clear in the sectiondealing with the operation of the bagger 25.

As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the first story housing 28 inclines upwardlyand rearwardly at the rear end thereof to where it merges with thesecond story housing 29 which slightly overhangs the first story housingand is rigidly secured thereto as by welding. The second story housing29 includes a longitudinal section '70 which is parallel with andextends directly over the opening 53 in the floor plate, and atransverse section '71 which functions as the housing for a dischargeconveyor 72 and is provided with side walls 73 and 74 and a deck 75. Thelongitudinal section 70 of the second story housing 29 has alongitudinal opening 76 therein in which a scoop mechanism 77 and ablockade mechanism 78 are mounted and operate.

The scoop mechanism 77 includes a shaft 79 which is fixed at itsopposite ends respectively on the rear end of longitudinal housingsection 70 and on side wall 73 of transverse section 71. Slidablymounted on shaft 79 is a slide bearing 80 having a lug 81 which inclinesin the direction in which bread travels through bagger 25, and upwardlyat an angle of degrees from vertical. A lug 82 extends horizontally fromsaid bearing. The lug 81 is rectangular in shape whereas the lug 82 iscylindrical and has a tapped hole which receives a scoop pivot post 83which journals in a suitable bearing provided in a bearing housing 84provided at one end of an arm 85 having another like bearing housing 86at its opposite end which is parallel with hearing housing 84 andcontains a suitable bearing which lies between and is secured to thechannel flanges 63 at the upper end of scoop reciprocating lever 61. Thelatter pivotal connection is made by a pivot post 90 which extendsthrough said bearing and beyond one flange of lever 61 to provide apivotal mounting for a rocker 91 having arms 92 and 93 formed at a rightangle from each other. Similarly, scoop post 83- extends beyond thebearing in housing 84 to provide a pivotal mount for a rocker 94 havingarms 95 and 96 disposed at a right angle from each other. The upper arm95 of rocker 94 is provided with a slot 97 for a purpose to be madeclear hereinafter.

Secured to rectangular lug 81 by screws 98 is a top scoop bearingmounting plate 99 having rigidly secured thereto a pivot pin 100 whichrotatively journals in a bearing enclosed within a bearing housing 101which is secured by screws 102 to a scoop operating bar 103. Secured bybolts 104 to the rear end of said bar is a top scoop control armextension 105. Adjustably secured in slot 97 in arm 95 is a pin 106 theinner end of which is pivotally connected to the lower end of anadjustable link 10-7, and the upper end of which is pivotally connectedto the lower end of control arm extension 105.

Arm 96 of rocker 94, on the other hand, is pivotally connected to theend of an adjustable link 108, the opposite end of which pivotallyconnects to the arm 93 of rocker 91. The arm 92 of rocker 91, on theother hand, pivotally connects to one end of a relatively longadjustable link 109, the lower end of which pivotally connects to thelower arm 60 of rocker 58.

The scoop mechanism 77 includes a top scoop 114 and a bottom scoop 115.The top scoop is shaped as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and has two verticallyslotted fins 116 rising from a rear portion thereof, which fins extendalongside the scoop operating bar 103 and are secured thereto by screws117, extending through said slots in said fins. The bottom scoop 115 ismuch longer than the top scoop 114 and is mounted at its rear end on ascoop detaching bar 118 by screws 119 which extend through said bar andinto a scoop mounting plate 120 which in turn is secured to the upperface of rectangular lug 81 by screws 121.

By virtue of the fifteen degree inclination from vertical of therectangular lug 81, the entire scoop mechanism 77 mounted thereon islikewise so inclined. Apart from this inclination, which is laterally orcrosswise with respect to the longitudinal axis of this mechanism, theaxial center line of the rear half portion of the bottom scoop 115 issubstantially horizontal while the center line of the front half of thebottom scoop inclines downwardly from horizontal at an angle ofapproximately three degrees. This is to assist in giving clearance fromthe scoop mechanism of bread being displaced therefrom by the blockadeduring a bread bagging operation. Somewhat more than the rearmost halfof the upper side edge of bottom scoop has a lip 122 bent downward atabout fifteen degrees from the scoop bottom so that said lip isapproximately horizontal. This lip is provided to assist delivery of asliced loaf of bread over said lip and onto said bottom scoop.

The remainder of the upper side edge of the bottom Scoop has a very lowupturned flange 123 which terminates at its rear end in an outward flare124. Slightly more than half of the front portion of the lower side edgeof the bottom scoop 115 is provided with an upturned narrow flange 125which gradually increases in depth from front to rear and finally mergeswith a relatively wide flange 126 which turns upward from the rearportion of the lower side edge of the bottom scoop.

Two bearing support posts 127 and 128 are mounted at their bottom endson the floor plate 32 and are secured at their upper ends to adjacentportions of the housing 2829. Post 128 has rigidly secured thereto anarm 129, on the end of which is provided a bearing housing 130 carryinga bearing on which an arm 131 is pivotally mounted, the upper end ofthis arm having a cam following roller 132 which is aligned with andfollows the periphery of cam 52 while the other end of arm 131 ispivotally connected to one end of an extensible link 133, the oppositeend of which is pivotally connected to the upper end of arm 59 of rocker58. Also pivotally connected to said rocker arm is a clip 134 throughwhich torque is applied to rocker 58 by a contractile spring 135 so asto hold the cam following roller 132 in constant contact with theperiphery of cam 52.

Mounted on bearing support port 127 and upon the first story housing 28are bearings 136 and 137 in which a shaft 138 journals. Mounted on saidshaft between said bearings are flusher operating clamps 139 and a clamparm 140 is mounted on an end portion of shaft 138 which extends inwardlybeyond bearing 136. Mounted on posts 127 and 128 are a pair of bearings141 and 142 in which a shaft 143 journals, this shaft having securedthereon a flusher drive clamp arm 146 which extends inwardly from saidshaft and is pivotally connected to the lower end of an extensible link147, the upper end of which pivotally connects with clamp arm 140. Alsomounted on shaft 143 is a blockade actuating clamp arm 148 which extendsupwardly from said shaft and has a bevelled face as shown in FIG. 2.Another clamp arm 149 is mounted on shaft 143 and has mounted thereon acam follower roller 150 which rides on the periphery of cam 51.

Blockade operating clamp arm 148 has an upward extension 151 boltedthereto, this extension being connected by contractile spring 152 to thefront wall 153 of first story housing 28 so as to maintain the roller150 in constant contact with cam 51.

The flusher clamps 139 also have upward extensions 154 and a horizontalflusher bar 155 is mounted on the upper ends of these extensions.

Fixed to the second story housing 29 along the rear edge of thelongitudinal opening 76 formed therein, is a pair of upwardly extendinggib mounting bars 156, upward portions of which are inclined inwardly at15 degrees with the vertical. Secured by screws 157 to the upper ends ofbars 156 is 3. blockade gib 158 which is disposed horizontally and isdeeply V-grooved along its upper and lower edges. A blockade mountingplate 159 having upper and lower runners 160 is mounted on gib 158 withsaid runners extending into the aforesaid grooves so as to render plate159 freely slidable horizontally on said gib. Pivotally connected at itsopposite ends to plate 159 and to the upper extremity of arm extension151 is an adjustable link 161. By means of this connection, longitudinalshifting of the blockade mounting plate 159 on gib 158 is effected bycam 51, while this cam also functions to actuate horizontal flusher bar155, as will be made clear in describing the operation.

Secured, as by suitable screws, to plate 159 is a blockade supportingarm 162 which extends between the top and bottom scoops 114 and 115 anda substantial distance toward the front end of the machine as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4. Secured as by welding to the front end of arm 162 is ablock 163 which is horizontally apertured to receive threaded studs 164which are integrally provided on and extend rearwardly from a blockade165, said studs having coiled expansion springs 166 which are heldagainst block 163 by nuts 167 so as to yieldably mount blockade on block163.

It is to be noted in FIGS. 1 and 13 that the deck 75 of transversehousing section 71 has two slots 172 provided therein in which conveyorchains 173 of discharge conveyor 72 are mounted to travel continuouslyduring the operation of the bagger 25. Fixed to chains 173, preferablyat 9" intervals, are loaf pusher bars 174.

At its right hand end, transverse housing section 71 provides a raisedsloping deck 175 having a pair of slots 176 through which extensions 154extend upwards so that flusher bar 155 sweeps the upper surface of deck175 during each bagging cycle as will be made clear in describing thelatter. Secured to side wall 73 of housing section 71, opposite deck 175(see FIGS. 1 and 14), is a bagged loaf guide wall 177 the lower end ofthis guide wall joining with an adjacent end of a guide wall 178 whichis mounted on the housing wall 73 and extends a substantial distancealongside discharge conveyor 72. Extending at right angles horizontallyfrom the upper edge of guide wall 178 is a tapering flange 179 the widthof which increases towards its terminal end.

Fixed to the housing sidewall 74 are guard rail mounting posts 180, onthe upper ends of which a conveyor guard rail 181 is adjustably mountedhorizontally so as to adjust the spacing between this rail and the guardwall 178 on the opposite side of the conveyor (FIGS. 1 and 2). The righthand end portion of guard rail 181 is curved to have a camming effectupon bagged loaves as these are initially delivered onto dischargeconveyor 72 so as to fit the loaves snugly between the guard rail 181and the guard wall 178.

Mounted on front wall 74 of discharge conveyor housing 71 so as to besymmetrical about the same inclined plane of symmetry as the scoopmechanism 77, is a bag film supply mechanism 185 (see FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 6,7 and 11). Support for this mechanism is provided by an inclined block186 and a somewhat shorter vertical block 187 which are spaced aparthorizontally and are rigidly secured to the outer face of housingsidewall 74. Block 186 has a pair of vertically spaced horizontal tappedholes into which cap screws 188 and 189 are screwed and block 187 has ahorizontal tapped hole into which cap screw 190 is screwed. The capscrews 188, 189, and 198 are supplied with washers and before beingscrewed into said tapped holes, are extended respectively through threeslots 191 formed in a rectangular mounting plate 192 so that said slotsare parallel with the upper and lower edges of said plate. Said slotsare so provided in plate 192 that when this plate is so mounted onblocks 186 and 187, the end edges of plate 192 are parallel with theaforesaid inclined axial plane of bag film supply mechanism 185. Thepurpose of so mounting the plate 192 is to permit said mechanism to beadjusted in a direction normal to said axial plane.

Rigidly mounted on plate 192 in parallel relation therewith, anddisposed forwardly therefrom, by spacer bars 193, 194 and 195, is afront plate 196, the outline of which may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 6 asembracing a triangular lower portion 197 and a post 198 which extendsintegrally upwardly from the left corner of portion 197.

Mounted rigidly on plate 196 and extending inwardly therefrom arebearing blocks 264 and 205 which have co-axial bores which providesliding bearings for an elevator shaft 206. Block 204 has a screw 207and the lower end of shaft 206 has an apertured clip 288 secured theretoand opposite ends of a contractile spring 269 attach to said screw andsaid clip so as to constantly bias shaft 286 upwardly.

Mounted on the upper end of shaft 206 in a plane normal to said shaft isan elevator table 210 which is made of sheet metal and one side portionof which is bent upwardly to form a table side wall 211, the latterhaving a wide slot 212 formed centrally therein, the full height of saidwall. Mounted on the bottom of table 210 is a block 213 which carries aroller 214 which fits within a guide way formed by post 198 and a plate215 which is mounted on said post in parallel spaced relation therewith.Mounted on front plate 196 and extending forwardly therefrom is a boss218 (FIGS. 2 and 7) on which is pivotally mounted a rocker 219 havingarms 220 and 221. Fixed on arm 220 and extending outwardly therefrom isa block 222 having a tapped vertical aperture for adjustably receiving ascrew 223 the purpose of which uill be made clear later. Also fixed onarm 220 and extending inwardly therefrom is a rod 224.

Rigislly fixed on spacer bar 194 and extending upwardly therefrom is apost 225 on the upper end of which is mounted a bracket 226 providingbearings for a shaft 227 and a mounting for a micro switch 228. Mountedon shaft 227 for operating said micro switch is an eccentric 229 and ablock 230 in which is mounted a coil spring 231 the outer portion ofwhich is straightened to form a finger 232 which overlies elevator table210 and is located opposite the slot 212 formed in table side wall 211.A bag film stack hold-down arm 233 is pivotally mounted by a pin 234provided on post 198 and has a pair of ears 235 through which it ispivotally connected to the upper end of an adjustable link 236, thelower end of which pivotally connects to the inner end of rod 224 whichis fixed on arm 220 of rocker 219.

Pivotally mounted by a screw 240 on front plate 196 is a clutch block241 which is provided with an aperture 242 through which elevator shaft206 is readily slidable but which is large enough so that, when block241 is swung upwardly about this pivot, it will bind against shaft 286and prevent the latter responding by an upward movement to the bias ofcontractile spring 209. Block 241 is provided with a control rod 243which is rigidly fixed thereto and which terminates at its outer end ina ball 244. Spacer bar 195 is in a position to provide a downward restfor rod 243 which will position clutch block 241 with its aperture inalignment with shaft 206 so as to permit the latter to freely slidethrough said block. Also provided on front plate 196 is a stud 245 andan expansive spring 246 is compressed between said stud and clutch block241 on the opposite side of the latter from its pivot screw 240, thisspring lifting said block into clutching relation with shaft 2116 whenrod 243 is free from downward pressure. Such pressure may be appliedmanually through the ball 244 or it may be applied through the screw 223during each bread bagging cycle of the bread bagger 25. The manner inwhich this occurs will be made clear in the description of theoperation.

Pivotally connected at its lower end by a bolt 247 to scoopreciprocating lever 61 a short distance above the pivotal mounting ofsaid lever on bearing 56 is a relatively long adjustable link 248, theupper end of which is pivotally connected by a screw 249 to the lowerarm 221 of rocker 219.

The elevator table 210 is provided to hold a stack 254 of polyethylenebag film in which the individual film 255 forming each bag preferablyhas a tongue of film 256 which extends beyond the open end of the bag,this tongue having holes 257 through which a wire wicket 258 is extendedfor binding and handling the stack 254 and mounting the same in the bagfilm mechanism 185. This mechanism thus includes a wicket trap 259 whichalso provides a mounting for an air nozzle 260 from which air isdelivered in one or more jets towards the mouth of the topmost bag 255in stack 254 so as to inflate this bag with air in readiness for itsbeing made use

1. IN A MACHINE FOR BAGGING A PRODUCT, SUCH AS A LOAF OF BREAD, IN AFLEXIBLE PLASTIC BAG MADE OF POLYETHYLENE OR THE LIKE, THE COMBINATIONOF: (A) MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY FEEDING INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT ENTITIES ALONGA GIVEN PATH TO A BAGGING STATION; (B) SCOOP MEANS RECIPROACATING ALONGA SECOND PATH WHICH CROSSES SAID FIRST PATH IN THE AREA OF SAID STATIONSO THAT SAID SCOOP MEANS HAS ALTERNATELY A RETRACTED POSITION IN SAIDSECOND PATH IN WHICH SAID SCOOP MEANS IN WITHDRAWN FROM THE AREA OF SAIDSTATION, AND AN EXTENDED POSITION IN WHICH SAID SCOOP MEANS EXTENDSTHROUGH AND BEYOND SAID STATION; (C) BAG SUPPLY MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ADISTENDED BAG TO AN END PORTION OF SAID SCOOP MEANS WHEN THIS ISEXTENDED BEYOND THE SAID STATION WHEREBY SAID SCOOP MEANS EXTENDS WITHINSAID BAG AND GRIPS THE SAME CARRYING THE SAME WITH IT AS SAID SCOOP MEANRETREATS THROUGH SAID STATION; (D) MEANS ON SAID SCOOP MEANS POSITIONEDOPPOSITE SAID STATION WHEN SAID SCOOP MEANS IS EXTENDED, FOR RECEIVING APRODUCT ENTITY FED TO SAID STATION; (E) BLOCKADE MEANS POSITIONED TORETAIN SAID PRODUCT ENTITY AT SAID STATION DURING RETRACTION OF SAIDSCOOP MEANS WHEREBY SAID BAG IS DRAWN OVER SAID ENTITY, ENVELOPING THESAME; (F) ENGAGEMENT OF SAID BAG WITH SAID PRODUCT ENTITY HALTING SAIDBAG AT SAID STATION AND FACILITATING WITHDRAWAL OF SAID SCOOP MEANS FROMSAID BAG AS SAID SCOOP MEANS RETURN TO ITS RETRACTED POSITION; AND (G)MEANS FOR COORDINATELY RECIPROCATING SAID SCOOP MEANS, OPERATING SAIDPRODUCT ENTITY FEED MEANS, AND OPERATING SAID BAG SUPPLY MEANS TOPRODUCE RECURRENT PRODUCT ENTITY BAGGING CYCLES, SAID SCOOPRECIPROCATING MEANS ACCOMPLISHING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID SCOOP MEANS FORRETRACTED POSITION TO EXTENDED POSITION DURING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THANHALF OF THE TIME PERIOD OF EACH BAGGING CYCLE, THE BALANCE, AND MAJORPORTION, OF SAID TIME PERIOD BEING OCCUPIED BY THE REVERSE MOVEMENT OFSAID RECIPROCATION.